The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Syringa hybrid and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Bailbridget’. ‘Bailbridget’ is a new cultivar of lilac grown for use as an ornamental landscape plant.
‘Bailbridget’ arose from an on going breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Cottage Grove, Minn. The objective of the breeding program was to develop a new cultivar of Syringa with double flowers, disease resistance, and foliage and stems that are tinted purple in color.
‘Bailbridget’ originated from a cross made by the Inventor in May of 2001 between Syringa vulgaris ‘Charles Joly’ (not patented) as the female parent that was pollinated with a mixture of pollen collected from Syringa ‘Old Glory’ (not patented) and Syringa ‘Declaration’ (not patented). The Inventor selected ‘Bailbridget’ as a single unique plant amongst the seedlings that resulted from the above cross in May of 2007.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stem cuttings in June 2008 under the direction of the Inventor in Cottage Grove, Minn. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.